Incubator



Oct. 25, 1932. M R IME 1,884,843

INCUBATOR Filed July 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sh? 1 1 INVENTOR 49 fla /g ii'ieraz'me.

WITNESS iif xi 3 f T M 7 1 ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1932. R. M. PETERSIME 1,834,343

INCUBATOR Filed July 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wlTNEss 62 I E5 ENVENTOEQ a y fiaygf RZwtizme WW v6;

ATTORN EY Oct. 25, 1932. R. M. PETERSIME INCUBATOR Filed July 11. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR (i! 50] M f efi wa im e.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES RAY M. PETERSIME, OF GETTYSBURG, OHIO INCUIBATOR Application filed July 11, 1929.

This invention relates to incubators.

An object of the invention is the provision of an incubator including a housing having a plurality of tray holders disposed in the housing in connection with an air shaft embracing the bottom portion, the side wall and the top of the housing with the trays movable within the portions of the air shaft, the air shaft having discharge ports for directing air in a plurality of different directions through the tray holders in order to provide a swirling motion of the air to the trays.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an incubator including a housing for a plurality of tray holders, an air shaft being located within the housing and embracing the tray holders with the lower end of the air shaft being connected to a blower for forcing the air through the shaft, a heater for the air being incorporated in the shaft adjacent the blower, sai-d shaft progressively decreasing in air capacity from itslower end to its upper end where it opens directly onto the upper tray holders.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification; nevertheless it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications which shall define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of an incubator constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a View in elevation of an. incubator with the doors in open position,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 33 of Figure 4,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the air circulating means of the incubator,

Serial No. 377,518.

Figure 7 shows diagrammatically the electric circuits of the incubator, and

Figure 8 is a horizontal section of the crank arm for rocking the trays.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary'side view of the tray rocking device shown in Figure 8.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates a housing having a front wall 11 provided with an opening 12 closed by doors 13 and 14 in order that the contents of the incubator may be removed, and inspected, or for refilling the incubator. The door is provided with side windows 15 havin g transparent material to permit inspection of the incubator without necessitating the opening of the doors.

Located within the interior of the housing 10 is a supporting structure which includes vertical beams 16 and 17. These beams have bearings for supporting a plurality of shafts 1 18 located in spaced horizontal planes but in the same vertical plane.

Pivotally mounted on each of the shafts 18 is tray holder 20 formed of angle iron. One

of the flanges 21 forms a side Wall for the holder while the other flange 22 provides a bottom wall or support for the trays which are placed within the holders. These holders are pivoted at 23 to a vertically disposed bar 24 so that when one of the holders is rocked. all the holders will be simultaneously rocked. A bar 25 is pivotally connected to the opposite side walls of the tray holder 20 and cooperates with the bar 24 for causing simultaneous rockin of all of the tray holders.

The remaining portion of the housing is equipped with tray holders which are mounted within a frame structure, generally designated by the numeral 31. This frame structure is supported from the bottom 32 of the housing 10 by means of posts 33. The tray holders 30 are secured to the posts 33 and the posts 35 so that the trays 36 may be withdrawn or inserted within the frame structure 31. It will be noted that the tops of the trays 36 are covered with a wire screen 37 in order to prevent the young chicks from falling from the trays. Handles 38 are secured to the forward ends of the trays 36 in order to facilitate the insertion or removal of the trays. The compartment in which the trays 36 are disposed is termed the hatching compartment while the compartment in which the holders 20 are located is defined as the incubator section.

The holders 20 are rocked exteriorly of the housing 10 by means of a lever 40 secured to a shaft 41 which extends through the side wall 42 of the housing and is connected to an arm 43. A pin 44 is connected to the arm 40 and rides within an arcuate-shaped guide 45 secured to the side wall 42. has a central passage 47 which slidably receives the arm 43. The block is swivelled at 48 in a socket 49 carried by the bar 25 which is secured to certain of the tray holders 20.

An air shaft 5O shown in detached relation in Fig. 6, has a bottom portion 51, a vertically disposed portion 52 and an upper horizontal portion 53. It will be noted that the air shaft gradually decreases in capacity from the blower casing 54 to, the Open free end 55. A baffle 56 is located adjacent the open end in order to cause the air which is forced through the shaft by means of blower 57 to move downwardly upon the tray holders 20.

The inner wall of the shaft 50 which is adj acent the tray holders 20 is provided with a plurality of slots 58 for discharging the air towards the trays and their holders 20 in a plurality of different directions in order to provide the swirling motion of the air and efiicient circulation. The metal of the inner walls of the air shaft shown at 59 is punched inwardly when the discharge passages 58 are formed to provide baffles for directing the air outwardly towards the trays.

The construction of the air shaft issuch that it will not only supply air at spaced points to the trays but will provide for an even distribution of the air through the discharge passage 58 to the trays and at approximately the same velocity. This is due to the fact that the lower portion 51 of the air shaft is of greater thickness or depth than the re maining portion so that the decreased thickness of the shaft approaches its end will cause the air to have the same pressure for a smaller volume.

The blower 57 is located within the housing 54 and is directly coupled to a shaft 62 which extends eXteriorly of the housing and is directly coupled to a motor 61.

It will be noted that a plurality of the blowers and their casings are shown within the housing 10 but where a single compartment is employed the incubator section only one blower and one air shaft is employed.

A heater is located within the lower section 51 of the a r shaft 50 and is operated in a manner which will be presently described.

The heaters 60 and the motor .61 are operated from the house current indicated by the leads 63 and 64.

A block 46 A switch 65 is employed for closing the circuit to the house current. A pair of thermostats 66 and 67 are mounted on the inner face of the front wall 11 of the housing 10 and are adapted to control the temperature of the air by closing or opening the circuits to the heaters 60 and 60. Pilot lights 68 and 68 are included in the circuits and located exteriorly of the housing 10 to indicate that the heaters are properly operating.

Referring more particularly to the wiring diagram shown in Figure 7, it will be seen that a manually controlled switch 70 is included in the wire 63 to the motor for cutting off the current to said motor. A wire 71 connects the other lead of the motor to the negative line 64 of the house current.

The wire 72 is connected with a binding post 7 3 on the thermostat 66. A wire 74 connects said binding post with the wire 7 2. A wire-7 6 connects the binding post 7 3 with a switch element 77 which is adapted to engage a switch element 78 which is connected by a wire 79 to a wire 80 which in turnis connected between a binding post 81 and one ter minal of the lamp 68. A wire v82 in connection with a wire 84 connects the other terminal of the lamp 68 with a terminal of a heater 60.

'Wires 82 and 84 are connected to the binding post 75. A wire 83 connects the other terminal of the heater 60 with the line 64.

The wire 7 2 is connected between the line 63 of the house current and a binding post 85. A wire 88 connects the binding post with one member 89 of a switch, the member 89 normally engaging a switch member 90 con nected by a wire 91 to. a binding post 92.

Wires 93 and 94' connect the pilot 68" with the posts 92 and 86, respectively. The wire 95 connects the post 86 with a heater 60 and the wire 96 completes the circuit to the house current represented by the wire 64. A shallow pan 120 is located in the air shaft 50" in advance of the heaters 60 and 60 for supplying moisture to the air passing through the shaft.

The operation of my device is as follows: The switch 65 is closed, thereby closing the circuit to'the thermostats 66 and 67 while the switch 70 closes the circuit to the motor 61.

When the motor is set in motion the blowers 57 aredriven causing air to be forced through the air column 50 over the heaters 60 and 60. The heated air is forced through the openings 58 and due to the various directions in which the air is directed into the housing 10, the air is caused to circulate in a sw rling motion through the housing.

WVhcn the switch 65 is closed current will pass through the circuits'connected with the thermostats and with the heaters and when the temperature rises to predetermined degree or'above the same the thermostats will become active by expanding and cause the switch elements 77 and 78 to separate, breaking the circuit to the heater while the thermostat 67 will cause the switch elements 88 and 90 to separate, breaking the circuit to the heater 60 When the temperature of the air becomes suficiently less to permit the thermostats 66 and 67 to return their respective switch elements in closed position current will flow through the heaters 60 and 60 until the temperature of the air in the housing has again reached its maximum.

I claim 1. An incubator comprising a housing, a plurality of tray holders mounted in the housing, an air shaft in the housing arranged around the tray holders and provided with spaced discharge passages for directing air downwardly, upwardly, and laterally through the holders and means for causing circulation of air through the air shaft.

2. An incubator comprising a housing, a plurality of tray holders mounted in the housing, an air shaft in the housing arranged around the tray holders and provided with spaced discharge passages for directing air downwardly, upwardly, and laterally through the holders and means for causing circulation of air through the air shaft, the air shaft gradually decreasing in capacity from the air circulating means to the opposite end of the shaft.

3. An incubator comprising a housing, a plurality of tray holders mounted in the lions ing, an air shaft in the housing arranged around the tray holders and provided with spaced discharge passages for directing air downwardly, upwardly, and laterally through the holders and means for causing circulation of air through the air shaft, a 'heater in the air shaft adjacent the air circulating means.

4. An incubator comprising a housing, a plurality of tray holders in the housing, an air shaft in the housing having portions arranged below and at one side of the holders and a free end portion disposed above the holders, a wall of the air shaft adjacent the holders being provided with air discharge ports and means for forcing air through the lower end of the air shaft, and a heater in the air shaft, the upper free end of the air shaft being open, a bafiie connected to the free end for directing air downwardly upon the holders.

5. An incubator comprising a housing, a plurality of tray holders in the housing, an air shaft in the housing having portions arranged below and at one side of the holders and a free end portion disposed above the holders, a wall of the air shaft adjacent the holders being provided with air discharge ports and means for forcing air through the lower end of the air shaft, the air shaft decreasing progressively in capacity from points adjacent the lower end to the upper free end.

and a free end portion disposed above the holders, a wall of the air shaft adjacent the holders being provided with air discharge ports and means for forcing air through the lower end of the air shaft and a heater in the air shaft, baffles projecting inwardly from i the discharge ports for aiding in directing the air from the air shaft and the holders.

7. An incubator comprising a. housing, a

plurality of tray holders in the h using, an

air shaft in the housing having portions arranged below and at one side of the holders and a free end portion disposed above the holders, a wall of the air shaft adjacent the holders being provided with air discharge ports, a blower adjacent the lower end of the air shaft, a casing embracing the blower and in open communication with the air shaft whereby the blower will force air through the shaft, the shaft decreasing in capacity from the lower end to the upper free end.

8. An incubator comprising a housing, a plurality of tray holders in the housing, an air shaft in the housing having portions arranged below and at one side of the holders and a free end portion disposed above the holders, a wall of the air shaft adjacent the holders being provided with air discharge ports, a blower type circulator adjacent the lower end of the air shaft, a casing embracing the circulator and in open communication with the air shaft whereby the circulator will force air through the shaft, and means for causing rotation of the circulator and located eXteriorly of the housing, the shaft progressively decreasing in capacity from the circulator to the free end of said shaft.

RAY M. PETERSIME. 

